Cutting apparatus for mowers, reapers, or the like.



No. 7os,|46. 'Patented sept. 2, |902'. l E. A. JOHNSTON. CUTTING APPARATUS FDR MOWERS, REAPERS, 0R THE LIKE.

. (Applicmon med July1 o, 1902.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARDA. JOHNSTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MCCORMICK IIARVESTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. y A

CUTTING APPARATUS. Fon MowERs, REAPERS, R THE LIKE. f

SPECIFICATION forming part Letters Patent No. 708,146, dated September 2, 1902. Application Sled July 10, 1902. Serial No. 115.021. (No model.)

To all whom, iz'; may concern,.-

Beit known that I, EDWARD A, JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting Apparatus for Mowers, Reapers, or the Like; and I do herebydeclare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the,invention,such as will to enable others skilled in the art `to which it appertains to make yand use the same.

The invention relates to the means for holding the'cutters of mowers, reapers, and the like down upon theplates ot the guard-iinx 5 gers and it consists in an improved form of clip that .is secured to the finger-bar in the ordinary manner and Vhas a pivoted finger K which overhangs the cutters and has its front end depressed by a spring, so as to exert a zo downward pressure upon the cutters at a r point beyond their attachment to thecutterbar.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l isa plan of a'portion of a lingerbar, showing one of my clips in place. Fig. 2 isa cross-section on the line 2 2. Fig. 3is a perspective of one of the cutters to which the clips are applied. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the finger, the saine being turned over to better show the construction; and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the socket for holding the clip.

Referring to the-views, a denotes the nger-bar, b the cutter-bar, c the cutters, d the guard-ingers, and e the base-plate, of the clip. Except the base-plate these ,parts are all of the usual construction and arrangement, and the plate itself is bolted to the nger-bar in the ordinary manner and has the usual lip f, overhanging the rear edge oi' the cutters. About centrally of its length this base-plate has a raised socket g, extending in a fore-and-aft direction, as shown in Figs. l

and 2. The top of the socket at the rear is open, as indicated at h; but the rear end at ,the upper part is closed bya continuation of the side' wall extending around behind. e

The linger of the clip is represented at k.

It has a downwardly-extending pin l at its rear end, which forms a pivot for it to turn on in the socket of the base-plate, and the for ward part of the finger inelines downward I and bears at its point on the cutter c near its forward end, where the force tending to lift it from the leger-plate-is greatest.

The pivot-pin l is formed witha V-shaped recess m at its upper endon the rear side, and the rear wall i of the socket has a knifeedged projection n, which whe'n theiinger is in place fits into the recess rm/and constitutes the pivotal point on which the n ger Vibrates. On its front side at the lower end, the-pini has a lug o, and between this lug and the forward end of the socket'a coiled spring p, 65 that is housed in the socket, reacts, so as to tend constantlyto force the lower end of the pin backward, thereby causing the front end of the finger itself to bear downward with an elastic pressure on the cutter. The rear side of the socket g being open, as shown at q, Fig. 2, permits the finger as a whole to rock in a vertical fore-and-aft plane on the part 'L' as, a fulcrnm under the action of this spring,

and the knife-edged projection n, already de 75 scribed, permits the finger to oscillate in a horizontal plane, so that its pointinay follow the reciprocating movement of the cutter c. It will be understood that the finger is os- 8o cillated by the cutter, and the necessary engagement between its forward end and the cutter is made as represented -in Figs.l 2 and 3,. where fr denotes Va slot in the center of the cutter extending toward its point, and s indicates a lug on the under side of the point of the finger which extends into the slot.

The spring-pressure on the finger holds this projection in the slot, and the elongation of the latter provides for the necessary play o f the projection that is incident to the dierential movement between the finger and the cutter.

rIhe construct-ion being as thus described it will be noted that there is no spring, as such, bearing directly on the cutter and 11o spring which is pivoted inthe socket or to the base-plate. It will also be noted that the finger is, in effect, arigid bell-cranklever, one arm of which bears downward on the cutter and the other arm of which is pressed rearwardly by the spring. The arrangement'of IOO horizontal fulcrum and the spring is .particularly advantageous, inasmuch as it is entirely concealed and pro,- tected and is, moreover, connected to the finger in a way to oier the least possible resistance to its oscillating movement.

Having thus described theinvention, what 1. A spring-clip for the cutting apparatus `of mowers, reapers, and the like, comprising xo a rigid fin ger extending forward over the cutter and free to oscillate therewith,and a spring holding said finger down with an elastic pressure on the cutter. Y

l2. A spring-clip for the cutting apparatus of mowers, reapers, and the like, comprising a rigid spring-pressed finger that is free 'to oscillate on a vertical pivot, combined with a spring which causes thetinger. to tilt on a presses its front end elastically down on the cutter.

3. A spring-clip for the cutting apparatus.

a rigid, pivoted, spring-pressed finger overhanging the cutter and having a lug on the underside of its front end, combined with a cutter having a fore-and-aft slot into which thelng extends and in which it plays as the cutter and linger reciprocate.

5. A spring-clip for the cutting apparatus of mowers, reapers, and the like, comprising a rigid iin ger 7c havinga pivotlwith aV-shaped recess in the rear side at the upper. end, a socket g having a knife-edged projection n at its upper rear side, and a springp inclosed in the socket and reacting against the lower end of the pivot Z.

6. A spring-clip for the cutting apparatus of mowers, reapers, and the like, comprising arigidfngerk,havingapivotZwithaV-shaped recess min the rear side at the upper end, a socket g having a rearv wall 1Q with a knifeedged vertical projection fn, and a springp inclosed in the socket and reacting against the lower end of the pivot Z, the forward end of the finger having a projection on its under side to engage a slot in the cutter.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD A.v JOHNSTON.' 

